Regal Arrows
by thesoundingsea
Summary: Outlaw Queen drabbles and oneshots.


**Based on a tumblr prompt for the first time Robin and Regina meet.**

**(It's tough to write these two because they haven't met, so I'm not real sure about their dynamic...)**

**For the purpose of this story, I'm going with the theory that the new curse takes all the fairy tale characters back to FTL, and Regina has an idea for getting back to Storybrooke**.

**Hope you like it!**

**No beta, all mistakes are mine.**

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"Come on Rumple, you sneaky son of a bitch…where are the slippers?"

Regina swore again and tossed bottles, jars, books and every other useless thing out of Rumplestiltskin's endless shelves and cupboards as she searched through them. Someone had been here already, the place was an absolute mess, and although she couldn't detect any magical items that didn't mean they weren't there. The Dark One could have used a cloaking spell to hide them, could have made them invisible, so she went through everything by hand, determined to search every inch of this ruined castle to find a way back to Storybrooke.

_Back to Henry_.

It was a small comfort that at least she didn't have to worry about him. She knew that Emma, for all her stubbornness, would keep their son safe above all else. Not to mention her new pirate boyfriend, who followed her around like a puppy with stars in his eyes, and the Dark One's son, who was blind enough to think he still had a chance. Idiots, just like the Charmings, but they would all do whatever it took to keep Henry safe.

Unfortunately, that knowledge did nothing to ease the ache in her chest when she thought about him, remembering the way he called out to her as she and the other fairy tale residents vanished with the new curse.

"I know you've got them lying around here somewhere…you stole them from Glinda. She wouldn't stop complaining about it the last time I was in Oz…" she muttered to herself, squatting down to check the very bottom shelf.

Regina used her sleeve to wipe the sheen of sweat from her forehead as she stood up, stretching her back and slowly rolling out her neck. So far she had noticed two things in her search: one, that the Dark One's library revealed a strange fascination with ogre anatomy; and two, that the rotten imp had too damn many hiding places in his castle. She swung her arms back and forth a few times to get the blood flowing and was about to start on the next set of shelves when she heard a polite cough behind her.

Instinctively, Regina raised her hands and spun around, flames hovering over her palms in an instant, her magic held taut like a bowstring. Much like _that_ bowstring, the one that was currently drawn back, nocked with an arrow that was pointed right at her heart. The man at the far end of the room was soon joined by a dozen others, filing in from the tall double doors to her left and right as well. The fire in her hands sparked and hissed impatiently, but she reined it in. No need to get violent.

Yet.

_Henry wouldn't want that_, she reminded herself. So she went for diplomacy instead, and erased the frown from her face, exchanging it for something resembling calm patience. She was probably still frowning, but it would have to do.

"It would be unwise to pick a fight with me," Regina said smoothly, her dark eyes flickering over each of the men's faces. They all had weapons pointed at her, some bows and arrows, some knives, some spears. She was confident she could take out at least half of them with her first wave, but she would take an arrow to the heart before she could kill the rest.

But there was no reason for _them_ to know that.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" the man said, his voice big and booming to match his enormous size.

He was part giant. Had to be.

"I think it's obvious who has the advantage, here," she said, fanning the flames over her hands a little, just enough to make the men closest to her step back as she stepped forward into the center of the room. "I'm sure we can come to some sort of understanding…"

"Easy there, John," another voice called out. Regina's eyes narrowed. The newcomer was smirking, of all things, like the fool hadn't a care in the world. He gave her a quick once-over—and then did it again,arrogant bastard—and said, "Now, then, what have we here? Looting our humble home, milady?"

"This isn't _your_ home," Regina said.

"So I've been told—but as there are no contrary claims on the premises at the moment, I'll have to insist otherwise." He was _smiling_ at her. Smiling like she wasn't holding two balls of fire in her hands, ready to hurl them at his men and reduce them all to ash and dust in a matter of seconds.

"I am Robin Hood," he said with an elaborate bow, and recognition dawned on Regina.

"The thief," she said.

"Ah, I see my reputation precedes me!" he laughed, and his men all echoed their leader's amusement.

Regina sneered. "Oh, I've heard of you alright. Unless I'm mistaken, though, you're supposed to be dead." If he was indeed Robin Hood, which she _had_ to believe because why would _anyone _in their right mind claim to be the infamous prince of thieves? He was wanted in every corner of the kingdom—in every corner of _every_kingdom—and she'd personally ordered his execution three times. She thought the last one had stuck.

Apparently not.

"All in good time, I'm sure. Now, your majesty, what brings you to my humble abode?"

Now it was Regina's turn to smile. "Ah, so _you've_ heard of _me_, too," she said coolly, tossing her hair back and tilting her head ever so slightly.

"Everyone knows who the _Evil Queen_ is, madam."

Robin was walking toward her as he spoke, appearing unafraid as he skirted the piles of junk she'd scattered everywhere, drawing ever closer. He still smiled, but now Regina could see the tension in his eyes, the way his jaw was set, muscles in his cheek flinching. He knew who she was, knew what she could do. Not such a fool after all, it seemed.

There was something about him, though, that felt familiar to her, and that feeling settled low in her belly like a pile of rocks. She wanted to say that the sense of nostalgia was because she'd had him jailed so many times, but that didn't explain the wobbly feeling in her knees, or the way her stomach kept fluttering under his steady gaze. Maybe looking at him was making her ill. Not surprising, he was repulsive. Handsome, perhaps, but repulsive.

But there was _something about him_ that bothered her, crawled under her skin like an itch that she couldn't scratch.

_Henry needs you, Regina. You don't have time to dwell on girlish fancy._

"Well, then you know how foolish it would be to cross me," she said, all business once more.

Robin came to a stop a few paces in front of her, placing his hands behind his back as though they had all the time in the world. He watched her in silence for a moment, then said, "No…I don't think you'll do it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Beg all you like, but I don't think you'll do it."

Regina couldn't recall a time when she'd been spoken to like that, and for a moment all she saw was red. She waved her hands forward and sent fire toward the man, engulfing him in flames, reducing him to a tiny black spot of char on the plush-but-dusty carpets at her feet.

At least, that's what was _supposed_ to happen.

What _actually_ happened was that the moment Regina moved her hands, the fire went out. Spat and sputtered and then hissed into nothingness. It was like Storybrooke all over again, before she had her magic back, and all she could do was curse and stare down at her hands, wondering what was broken _this_ time. She looked up at Robin and saw that he was just as surprised as she was, his mouth opening slightly like he wanted to say something.

When the smile reappeared on his face, cocksure and brilliant—_no, not brilliant, not beautiful, only irritating_—Regina took three quick, confident steps forward and punched him in the nose.

She was still chuckling as Robin's men fell on her, binding her hands tightly behind her back.

_Smile at that, buddy,_ she thought with a grin.

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**Okay, honestly, I really just like that she punches him in the face. She's Regina, she's not going to be won over by a pretty face alone!**

**Review?**


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